The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the TIR Executive Board and the TIR secretariat, in close co-operation with the National Customs Directorate of Tunisia, organize a Regional TIR training Seminar which will be held in Tunis, on 3 and 4 June 2009.

The Seminar is aimed at capacity building of Customs authorities for the proper implementation of the TIR procedure and will address issues such as Customs fraud prevention, risk management, controlled access to the TIR regime, termination and discharge of a TIR operation, inquiry procedures.

The Seminar will provide detailed information on the functioning of the TIR Customs transit regime, its advantages for Customs authorities and international transport and trade in the region. The Seminar will inform participants on the roles and responsibilities of the various actors involved in TIR Customs transit operations (Governments, transport operators, national associations, the IRU, the TIR Administrative Committee and the TIRExB). The major part of the Seminar will be dedicated to an open discussion and exchange of views on the present situation with regard to Customs transit in the region and on the application of the TIR procedure in particular.

The Seminar is intended for senior Government officials responsible for Customs, transport and trade policies as well as Customs transit procedures. The seminar is also open to representatives of the private sector from these countries, which are involved in Customs transit procedures (national associations or road carriers, Chambers of Commerce, freight forwarders and/or Customs brokers).

Attached please find a first provisional programme of the Seminar. More detailed information on the programme of the Seminar and on the participating experts will become available in mid May 2009. Each participant will receive a free copy of the TIR Handbook. At the end of the Seminar, certificates of attendance will be distributed to all participants. English, French, and Arabic will be the working languages. Full simultaneous interpretation into/from these languages will be provided.

Participation in the Seminar is free of charge for registered participants. Participants are however expected to cover their own travel costs, accommodation and other personal expenses. Each participant at the Seminar must register with the TIR secretariat prior to the Seminar using a copy of the attached seminar registration form. Participants are advised to return this form to the UNECE TIR secretariat as soon as possible.

Seminar participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements. The Laico Hotel Tunis, the venue of the Seminar is located in the Centre of Tunis. Block bookings have been made for Seminar participants at the Laico Hotel. In order to profit from these rates, participants should fill-in the attached Hotel registration form and return this form to the TIR secretariat as soon as possible.